Generator type burner and fuel tank



. J. L enses:

@mamon m1; BURNER Ami rum.. .mm

July 5, 1949.

2 Snead-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 13. 1944 July 5, 1949.

Filed Jan. 1:5, i944 l l -J. L. assess. manon TYPE BURNER Anp FUEL.vwm):

2 Sheets-Sheet `2 Zin/'enfer Jmes L.rese

Patented July 5, 1949 GENERATOR TYPE BURNER AND FUEL TANK James L.Breese, Santa Fe, N. Mex., assigner, by mesne assignments, to BreeseBurners, Inc., Santa Fe, N. Mex., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJanuary 13, 1944, Serial No. 518,046

My invention relates to an improvement in liquid fuel burners and isparticularly applicable to a generator type of liquid fuel burner inwhich a liquid fuel supply is vaporized by the heat of a local initialcombustion and the vaporized fuel is delivered to a pot type burner.

One purpose is to provide improved means for storing a relatively largemass of liquid fuel adjacent the burner.

Another purpose is to provide improved means t'or insulating most ofsaid mass of fuel from the heat of the initial combustion.

Another purposeis to provide improved means for delivering liquid fuelto the zone or area of initial combustion.

Other purposes will appear from time to time throughout thespecification and claims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a. vertical axial section;

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical axial section through a variant form of thedevice.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specificationand drawings.

Referring rst to the form of Figures 1 and 2, i generally indicates anouter housing or container wall having an annular bottom wall 2, and atop wall 3. 4 are any suitable spacing supports for spacing the bottomWall upwardly from any suitable supporting surface or iioor 5. 3 is aninner cylindrical wallwhich extends upwardly from the inner edge of thebottom annulus 2 and abuts against the top member 3.

An inner vaporizing chamber is defined by the cylindrical outer wall 1,the bottom wall 3 and the central portion 3a of the top wall 3. Thespace between the walls 6 and 'lis downwardly open. The cylindricalwalls 6 and `l may be spaced apart at their lower edge by strips 1a. Airmay circulate through the apertures 3 in the top wall 3, and between thewalls 6 and 1. I0 is any suitable filling sleeve in the top wall 3 whichmay be 4 Claims. (Cl. 158-91) of the inner chamber. I3 is a heatresponsive member herein shown as a warping bar which. when the fuellevel is low, as shown in Figure 1, takes the open position in which itis shown in that figure. Fuel then flows in, and-as the lfuelv levelrises, the bar is cooled, and moves toward the closing position, in suchfashion that the ilow of fuel from the outer container to the inner cotainer may be cut off. @t

Air is admitted to the inner container by the ,following means: I8indicates a. fixed tube extending downwardly from the cover 3a to alevel close -to the bottom of the interior of the container. The tube I8is shown as provided with a plurality of slots 'I3 which may, ifdesired, be diametrically opposed. For strengthening purposes, I may useconnecting metal parts 20. 2l indicates an open Atopped inner tube whichmay be rotated by the handle member 22, the handle member` also servingto limit the downward movement of the tube 2I into the tube I8. The tube2| is provided with slots 23 arranged in any suitable relation to theslots I3 in such fashion that rotation of the inner tube 2 I- by thehandle 22 has a shuttering or valving effect. It will be understood thatthe slots are preferably so arranged that by rotation of the tube 2|through a predetermined arc, the air passage space controlled by theslots may vary from zero to a predetermined maximum. Thus a readilycontrollable air supply for the interior of the inner or generatorchamber is provided.

25 indicates a neck or tube upwardly extending from the inner topportion 3a. Mounted upon its upper end isa pot 23 herein shown as havinga circumferential side wall 21, a bottom 28 and an upper outwardlyextending flange 29 with a downwardly turned outer portion 30. The potisprovided with a plurality of primary air inlet apertures 3| extendingcircumferentially about the wall 2,1 and arranged at varying distancesfrom the pot bottom. 32 indicates a single top row of secondary airinlet apertures extending about the wall 21 adjacent the open top ofthepot. The otherwise open top of the pot is partially closed by thecentrally apertured flame ring 33 which may be secured by screws orother suitable means 34 to the flange 29. Secured to the flange portion30 is an outer sleeve 35 herein shown as having a bottom 3S providedwith a large central aperture 31 through which air may iiow into thespace between the member 35 and the pot wall 2'I.

Referring to the form of Figure 3, I illustrate a substantiallyidentical pot 26 and an outer'housing 35 mounted on the upwardlyextending neck or tube 25. However, I employ a single fuel chamberdefined by the top wall 3 and the circumferential side wall I and theclosed bottom wall 2a. Instead of having an entirely separate innergenerating chamber, I denne an inner generator space by providing twocircumferential inner walls 40. 4| which between them define a dead airspace. They may be made as a single member connected by an upper flange42 riveted or otherwise secured as at 43, to the top member 3. The spacebetween the partitions 40 and 4| is open at the bottom as at 44 and theliquid fuel levei may be located slightly above the lower edges as at45. However, the mass of the liquid fuel between the walls and 40 willbe to a substantial extent insulated from the generator chamber definedby the wall 4|. The air admission means are shown as identical withthose indicated in Figure 1.

It will be realized that whereas I have shown and described an operativedevice, still many changes might be made in the size, shape, number,arrangement and disposition of parts without departing materially fromthe spirit of my invention. I therefore wish that my showing be taken asin a large sense diagrammatic and illustrative, rather than limiting meto the precise showing.

It will be understood in particular that the size, shape and proportionof the fuel storage and generator chambers may be widely varied andthat, if desired, the neck or tube 25 may be sufficiently oifset fromcenter to permit ready upward removal of the inner air tube 2|.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

Combustion may be initiated in the generator or vaporizing chamber bydropping a match or ignited waste either down through the central tube25 or down through the open topped inner tube 2|. The tube is so set asto supply sufilcient air to support combustion and combustion will takeplace, at the top level of the fuel,to a sufcient degree to initiatevaporizaton of the fuel. vaporized fuel, with some additional airsupply, will then iiow upwardly through the tube 25 and into theinterior of the pot 25 and will there receive the primary air supplythrough the apertures 3|. As the mixture of primary air and vaporizedfuel rises in the pot 2B, it receives a final air supply through thesecondary air inlet 32 and the final mixture burns at the top of thepot, substantially at the level of the secondary air inlets 32 and theflame flows upwardly through the central aperture of the ame ring 33. Itwill be understood that any suitable combustion chamber, heater, stove,or radiating member may be employed. It will also be understood that thetube 25, which is shown as extending vertically from the vaporizingchamber may be bent to extend laterally, inl such fashion that the axisof 'the' pot may be horizontal or otherwise be inclined from thevertical. I do not illustrate any such variation, however, as thepresent invention is directed primarily to the means for storing andfeeding and insulating the liquid fuel.

I illustrate in the drawings herein a generator type burner whichincludes in a compact unit the three main elements of a fuel storagetank, a vaporizing chamber, and a mixing and burning pot which may be'employed in connection with any suitable burner or heater not hereinshown. The type of burner described herein employs a substantial mass offuel which is stored in the outer housing within the wall and which ren-Awhich determines the rate of combustion. Re-

4 ders it unnecessary to employ a fuel transmitting pipe permanentlyconnected to the assembly. The level of the fuel is at all times belowthe level of the pot or burner. The oil is raised into the burner formixing and combustion by converting it into a gas or vapor. This gas orvapor may rise' and flow by its own thermal expansion, or it may bedrawn upwardly to the burner by natural draft, if any suitablecombustion chamber with attached flue is employed. If desired, anysuitable blower or fan means, not herein shown, may be employed forforcing the vaporized fuel upwardly to the burner. The fuel level in thevaporizing chamber varies, but it is not the level of the fuel or themass of the fuel gardless of variations in level, in the generatorchamber, the amount of fuel burned is controlled by the amount' of airadmitted through the air inlet pipe 2|. Whereas I illustrate the inflowof air as controlled manually, it will be understood that any suitablethermal control means may be employed. It may be advantageous, forstarting, to employ a wide open air inlet passage. It must be kept inmind that there must be some air flow at all times into the vaporizingchamber, if continuous operation is to be maintained. since the onlymeans for getting fuel into the pot 26is to convert it into a gas orvapor. Enough air must be admitted to obtain the combustion necessaryfor vaporization of the gas. The more air which is admitted, the greaterthe rate of combustion.

The air admitted through the slot or slots I9 and 23 will be admitted insufcient quantity not merely to maintain the combustion necessary forthe Vaporization of fuel from the surface of the fuel within thevaporizing chamber, but also to provide an excess supply of oxygen. Itis essential not merely to maintain a vaporizing flame in the vaporizingzone within the vaporizing chamber but also to carry some flame andunburned oxygen up into the pot so that when the additional supply ofoxygen is provided through the apertures 3| and 32, combustion will takeplace. In effect, ignition of the final mixture may take place from thetip of ame extending upwardly or outwardly from the vaporizing zone intothe mixing zone. The vaporizing ame serves to vaporize the liquidhydrocarbon. As a matter of fact for convenience in the presentapplication, the mixing zone or pot 26 is shown as directly above thevaporizing chamber defined by the walls 1 or 4|. It will be understood,of course, that this relationship may be altered.

I find it convenient to employ a burner pot of the type heretofore usedin hydroxylating burners as shown in earlier patents of my own. Thevaporized hydrocarbon flows from the vaporizing or generating zone tothe mixing zone and there receives sufficient additional oxygen to forma final mixture. This mixture burns in or above the mixing zone or theinterior of the pot. At the lower stages of air supply, combustion mayalso take place in the pot proper. At the higher stages of combustion aswhere a maximum supply of air is admitted through the pipe 2|, the flamewill extend well up into the interior of whatever heater or combustionchamber is employed.

It will be understood that considerable heat may be generated in thevaporizing chamber. I therefore find it desirable to insulate asubstantial part of the liquid fuel supply from such heat. I provide anair circulating space between the walls 6 and 1 of Figure 1, or the deadair space between the walls 40 and 4| of Figure 3.

In the form of Figure 1, I provide the further feature of controllingthe flow of liquid fuel to the vaporizing chamber in response tovariations in heat conditions in the vaporizing chamber. As an exampleof such means, I illustrate the warping bar I6 which serves as a valveclosure for the aperture I5, effective to cut off liquid ow from theouter chamber to the vaporizing chamber, when there is a maximum depthof liquid in that chamber. It will also be noticed that the outerchamber is further removed from the pot than is the vaporizing chamber.Outside air flowing upwardly through the aperture 31 andy about and intothe pot 26 produces a curtain of moving air which servesto some extentas an insulating medium. This, in connection'with the air gap betweenthe outer sleeve 35 and the top of the outer chamber, and in furtherconnection with the air space between the top of the fuel and the topwall 3, prevents overheating of the fuel in the outer chamber by theheat of combustion in or above the pot.

I claim: 1. In a liquid fuel burner assembly, a burner having a partlyclosed bottom, a tank having circumferentially extending side walls, abottom Wall and a top wall, partition means in said tank segregatingpart of the interior of the tank from the rest of the tank, thesegregated portion of the tank constituting a liquid fuel vaporizationchamber, the rest of the tank interior constituting a liquid fuelstorage chamber, a duct connecting the vaporizing chamber and thestorage chamber, a duct extending upwardly from the top wall of the tankand in communication with the interior of the liquid fuel vaporizationchamber, said burner being mounted on said duct, the interior of saidduct being in communication with the interior of said burner through thepartly closed bottom of the burner, and means for admitting a variablecontrollable air supply, to the interior of said vaporization chamber,adequate to support vaporizing combustion.

2. Thestructure of claim 1 characterized by and including theemployment, as partition means in said tank, of a double wall definingan air space circumferentlally surrounding saidv liquid fuel vaporizingchamber.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized by and including theemployment, as partition means in said tank, of a double wall definingan air space circumferentially surrounding said liquid fuel vaporizingchamber, the upper and lower walls of said tank being apertured inalignment with the interior of said double wall, whereby air ispermitted to circulate freely between said fuel vaporization chamber andsaid liquid fuel storage chamber.

4. The structure of claim l-characterized by and including said ductterminating below the normal level of fuel in said vaporization chamber,andheat responsive means, normally submerged in the liquid fuel in saidvaporization chamber, adapted to control the ow of liquid fuel from saidstorage chamber to said vaporization chamber. l

JAMES L. BREESE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 359,502 Denison Mar. 15, 1887'416,652 Tarbutt Dec. 8, 1889 961,662 Troutman June 14, 1910 1,038,119Greene Sept. 10, 1912 1,072,242 Libby Sept. 2, 1913 1,113,966 Dunn Oct.20, 1914 1,143,582 Hamilton June 15, 1915 1,271,680 Dunn July 9, 19181,469,540 Simons Oct. 2, 1923 1,494,175 Lenz May `13, 1924 1,500,962Slezincky July 8, 1924 1,637,983 Beckley Aug. 2, 1927 1,655,569 ScheuJan. 10, 1928 1,751,456 Gillespie Mar. 18, 1930 1,867,104 Scheminger,Jr. July 12, 1932 1,977,196 Mainzer Oct. 16, 1934 2,017,238 Finley Oct.15, 1935 2,134,297 Breese Oct. 27, 1938 2,137,469 Willson Nov. 22, 19382,255,929 Huston et al Sept. 16, 1941 2,286,446 Tessmer June 16, 19422,335,098 Anderson Nov. 23, 1943

